Gus Malzahn addresses Arkansas job opening: ‘Nothing’s changed’

Updated Nov 12, 2019; Posted Nov 12, 2019

AUBURN, AL - SEPTEMBER 28: Head coach Gus Malzahn of the Auburn Tigers during their Tiger Walk prior to their game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 28, 2019 in Auburn, AL. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)Getty Images

Two years after Arkansas made a run at poaching Gus Malzahn from Auburn, the Razorbacks are once again in search of a head coach.

Arkansas fired Chad Morris less than two years into his tenure after he accumulated a 4-18 record in Fayetteville, Ark., and Malzahn’s name has already circulated as a potential candidate for the Razorbacks. Auburn’s seventh-year head coach was asked directly about the Arkansas opening and how committed he is to the Tigers just days out from his team’s rivalry matchup with No. 5 Georgia.

“I love Auburn," Malzahn said. "Like I said in the past, I love my players, and we got a bright future here. Nothing’s changed.”

Malzahn is in the second year of a seven-year contract extension at Auburn. He signed that extension at the end of the 2017 season -- after knocking off Georgia and Alabama to win the SEC West and put Auburn in playoff contention -- amid speculation that he could become the next coach at Arkansas following the departure of Bret Bielema. While Arkansas attempted to lure Malzahn, a one-time Arkansas offensive coordinator and high school legend in the state, he opted to remain on the Plains with a new seven-year, $49 million contract extension.

Malzahn is 60-29 in his seven seasons as Auburn’s head coach and has won two SEC West titles, an SEC championship, played for a BCS National Championship and guided the team to two other New Year’s Six bowl games in 2016 and 2017. Despite his overall success, there has been a seemingly ever-present unrest among the fanbase with Malzahn, who has struggled against Auburn’s biggest rivals. Auburn is 2-5 against LSU, 2-5 against Georgia and 2-4 against Alabama since 2013 -- though the Tigers have twice swept the Bulldogs and Tide under Malzahn, doing so in 2013 and 2017.

He’ll have a chance to improve those latter two records in the final three weeks of the season. No. 13 Auburn hosts No. 5 Georgia on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium, with kickoff set for 2:30 p.m. on CBS, and then the program welcomes No. 4 Alabama to the Plains two weeks later to close out the regular season.

Although Auburn is on the outside looking in for the College Football Playoff race, the Tigers can still achieve a potential 10-win season, spoil the playoff hopes of its two biggest rivals in the coming weeks and position itself for a third New Year’s Six bowl in the last four seasons.